Brock Orf

I think that I have always been a person that is interested in sustainability, and I like to think

that I am conscious about the environment in general. But I think this class really

put into perspective how my lack of action has a real-world effect. We talk a lot 

about how not doing anything really is doing is something, it reminds me of this saying

“we can’t afford to be neutral on a moving train”. Meaning that you’re progressing and a part

of something much bigger than you whether you like it or not. This train in this analogy is

the environment and its progression really aren’t a progression at all rather a deterioration

of itself. So, me being a part of that system is really a part of being the problem. This 

course made me realize that about myself. It also made me aware of how much I buy and

participate as a consumer. This class made me realize that I have been buying to many 

products are not considering how that impacts the environment. This has made do things 

prevent me from buying things to make me feel better, this kind of instant gratification is a 

difficult thing to break. I learned to do more responsible practices that still make me feel 

better, instead of buying things online I go to thrift stores more often now since learning 

more about sustainability. 

I also have enjoyed meditation practices that we do in class, I have always wanted to get 

into meditation but always a little apprehensive on how to start meditating. The guided 

meditations have really helped me become a more relaxed and at peace person. Not has

this given me more peace about what I have but also it has given me more appreciate not for the people around Me and more self confidence in myself. I also think that meditation has made me more aware about the space that I’m in and understanding that I’m apart of nature and made of the same elements as the environment around me. This again made me think

of the train metaphor, we can’t afford to stay neutral on a moving train. But instead of thinking of myself on the train I am a part of the train. Me and the train are made

From the same earth. I have come to this conclusion based on meditation. Now that I think

about myself as a part of nature is has made it easier for me to understand nature in a

more definite way. I used to think of nature as a more eternal concept, that the 

environment something that existed, but not anywhere near me. When I used to imagine

the environment I would think of a dense forest or tropical area that was far away in some

off the grid location. While I still consider that the environment, I no long think about it as 

some sort of secular notion that is independent from the contemporary world. I now understand that environment is everything, it’s even the building and roads, they are just man-made inventions that will return to the environment once mankind has run its course. 

This brings up the topic of human beings’ longevity on this planet, I agree that we must

protect the environment at all costs, but not for the sake of our species. I’m not opposed to

people, I love people. I’m extremely lucky to have been born human. But I understand that

we will not exist forever, and I think that we should consider other species that

exist and will exist. I think that thinking about how we should take care of the environment for

the rest of the inhabitants of the world will help people realize that the world isn’t a human 

only space and other life forms also deserve an opportunity at life.

Another thing that has been refreshing from this course is hearing from my peers’ 

perspective about the environment. I think that sometimes we often think that is us

against the world and everyone else has some agenda to end the environment. The 

reality is most people are also interested in the conservation of the environment. This concept was reassuring to me, and during the course I often heard my peers critically thinking of new ideas to help solve the environmental issues from the articles we read for class. A lot of these students often present their ideas with a vast amount of compassion and consideration. It made me feel a larger sense of community and kinship to them. This to me was cool because my peers are the same people that will be working in the future, and with these ideas on their minds we can establish new systems that set sustainability as a priority. I was talking to someone in wicked problems about future job goals and they were really interested in trying to find a job that shared their value of sustainability and the environment. I was able to confidentiality state that sustainability will probably be the standard as we begin our professional careers, especially now that I see the values of the future projected off my

peers. Overall, I’m very pleased with this course and I’m excited to learn more about sustainability and how I can incorporate it into my future career. I think that often in course sustainability is considered an option but has been treated as a gimmick or additive to a project. This class has helped me understand how to put sustainability as the forefront of my designs and concepts. Because I think that if sustainability is treated as a priority, it will become a more pronounced aspect of your ideas. Not only sustainability but wicked problems in general, understanding that not all problems have an immediate answer and need an aspect of design to provide a realistic solution. I feel that this course thus far has opened my eyes to understanding how I as an individual can create real change in my community and field in ways I never thought possible or approachable. I also really enjoy the reading we do for class; they usually provide unique aspects that I hadn’t considered before and I almost learn something new every time I read one of the articles.